Trunk-catch.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904. J. P. CLARK.

TRUNK CATCH APPLICATION FILED IAN. 21, 19.04.

No MODEL.

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Patented June 14, '1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES P. CLARK, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE R.

NEUMANN HARDVARE JERSEY.

COMPANY, `A CORPORATION OF NEV TRUNK-CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersvPatent No. 762,685, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed January 2l, 1904. Serial No. 189,971. (No model.)

T0 LI/Z whmn t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES P. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk-Catches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it -appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the construction and arrangement of a trunk body, lid, tray, and catch and to the construction of the catch whereby it may cooperate with the body, lid, and tray to effect certain desired results, this invention also being shown more or less fully in my cotempora.- neous application, Serial No. 189,972, filed on even date herewith, in which certain features not herein shown are claimed.

The objects of this invention are to enable a hinged tray to be automatically caught and held in its elevated position when raised by hand to permit access to the contents at the bottom of the trunk, to enable the catching to be accomplished Without materially increasing the number of parts and the consequent expense of the trunk, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved trunk-catch and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth and linally embraced inthe clauses of theclaim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a trunk having my improvements, the section being taken at line a', Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is afront elevation of a portion of the same on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at line y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front detail elevation of a handle-plate serving as one of the cooperating members of the catch, and Fig. 5 is a section at line of Fig. 4. I

In said drawings, 10 indicates the body of the trunk, and 11 is the lid or cover of the same, the parts being hinged at 12 in any usual manner. Said lid is provided with an ordinary plate 13, carrying a pivotal lockinghasp 14 of usual construction, while the body of the trunk is furnished with a plate 15, adapted to receive said hasp and cooperate therewith to fasten the trunk in any usual manner. l'

The hasp is provided with a spring 16, adapted to throw the hasp 14 out of locking or catching relation when unlocked.

At a point eccentric to the pivotal center 17 of the hasp the samev is provided with a second catchextension or finger 18, which projects rearwardly through the opening 19 in the valance 2O of the trunk-lid and through a corresponding opening or recess 21 in the said lid to engage the cooperating catch 22 of the tray 23. Said catch 22 is preferably the handle-plate commonly applied to the vertical front board of trays, as shown in Figs. l, 4, and 5.

It will be noticed that hinge-pin 24 of the tray 23 is eccentric to the hinge-pin or center pivot of the hinge 12, the parts being so disposed and related that when the lid 11 is open, as in Fig. 1, and the tray 23 is raised at its free forward part said forward part and the catch 22 thereof will be brought sufficiently near to one another to enable the cooperating catch parts to enter into engagement; but when the lid and the tray caught thereon are Ylowered in closing the trunk the tray and the catch 22. draw away from the front board of the lid and the extension or finger 18 releases f from its cooperating catch, enabling the lid 11 to loe subsequently raised without lifting the trays.

` I prefer to form the catch 22 as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, in which a slot 25 is formed to receive the finger 18, vand thus the tray is held, when caught, from moving in either direction;

but I may dispense with the slot, and in that event the linger may engage the lower edge 26 of the handle-plate and hold the tray from falling to its closed position. By this construction as commonly carried into effect I lirst raise the lid 11 after unlocking' the trunk and if I desire to secure something from beneath the tray 23 I raise said tray and press it against the lid, when the linger 18 enters into catching relation with the handle of the tray. Should I desire to gain access to the interior of the tray before closing the lid 11, I simply press on the hasp 141- against the spring 16, thus drawing the finger 18 away from the catch 22 and permitting the tray to drop. The spring 1G thus serves not only its usual function of throwing' the lock-hasp away from its cooperating locking member 15, but also the new function of throwing the linger 18 into position to receive the tray-catch.

Should I prefer, I may so dispose the parts in relation to one another as to maintain a catching relation of the parts 18 22 when the trunk is closed, and in this event a disengagement of catch members may be effected by pressing on the hasp, and thus d isengaging the catch members.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is4 1. rlhe combination with the trunk body and lid, the lock-hasp, and its cooperating locking member and a tray, of a catching-finger extending inwardly from said hasp, and a cooperating catch on the tray to receive said linger.

2. The combination with the trunk body and lid, the lock-hasp having a spring for throwing said hasp to its unlocked position, a cooperating locliing member on the body of the trunk and a tray, of a catching-linger extending inwardly from said hasp and a coperating catch on the tray to receive said linger.

3. rlhe combination with the tru nk body and lid, a lock-hasp on said lid adapted to engage a coperating locking member on the trunk-` body, said lock-hasp being' provided with a spring for automatically moving said hasp pivotally to throw its catching-linger inwardly and having' said catching-finger, of a tray arranged within said trunk and adapted to be raised therein, said catching-finger extending .inwardly from said hasp, and a cooperating catch on the tray to receive said linger.

4. The combination with the trunk-body, a tray hinged thereto and a lid, of a loclii ng member on the trunk-body, a catch member on the tray, anda hasp on the lid, said hasp being adapted to engage the locking member of the body and having' an inward extension adapted to receive and hold the tray when the lid and tray are in thei1 raised or open positions.

5. rlhe improved catch herein described, comprising the trunk-body member and the lid member, the latter comprising a plate and a pivotal hasp, the said hasp having a second catch extension to engage the tray', substantially as set forth.

(i. rI`he improved catch herein described comprising the trunk-body member adapted to be fixed to the body of the trunk and receive the 'pivotal hasp to fasten the lid and body together, and a lid member consisting of a plate adapted to be lixed to the lid, and a hasp movably attached to said plate to engage the body member and having an extension, distant from its point of engagement with the body member, extending rearwardly to engage a tray within the trunk.

7. The improved catch for trunks, &c. herein described comprising the trunk-body member and the trunk-lid member, the latter comprising a plate adapted to be attached to the lid and a hasp pivoted on said plate, said pivoted hasp having means to enter into catching engagement with the body member and a catch extension adapted to pass backwardly into catching engagement with an interior tray, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the trunk-body having a lock member, and a trunk-lid having a hasp pivotally attached thereto and adapted to engage the lock member of the body, of a tray within the trunk, having a handle at its front, said hasp having an extension adapted to enter into engagement with the handle of said trfy to hold said tray to the lid of the trunk, substantially as set forth.

9. The coinbination with the trunk-body having a lock member, and a trunk-lid having a hasp pivotally attached thereto and adapted to engage the lock member of the body, of a tray within the trunk, having a handle at its front, said hasp having an extension projecting into the trunk from the pivotal end of the hasp to engage the tray and holdthe same to the lid of the trunk.

10. The combination of the trunk-body having a lock member, a trunk-lid hinged to said body, and adapted to close over the open top of said body, a tray lying within the trunk, cleats within said body to support said tray, and a trunk-lid lock member consisting of a plate fastened on said lid and a hasp pivoted on said plate and adapted to move into locking engagement with` the trunk-body lock member, said hasp being pivoted on said plate and being, near its pivot, provided with an inward extension adapted to catch the tray and hold said tray up to the lid, and a spring for automatically throwing the hasp away from the lock member of the body and the inward extension into engagement with the tray.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of December, 1903.

` JAMES I). CLARK.

iVitnesses:

CHARLES H. IELL, RUSSELL M. Evnnn'rr.

IOO 

